Salem has gone 6-1 against Borden recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Lions will look to defend their home field against the Braves at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Salem came out on top against Springs Valley on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run sixth inning. The Lions took their contest against the Blackhawks 9-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Lions.
Karissa Hardy
| 05/22/25 @ Springs Valley | 4 |
| 05/07/25 @ Madison | 3 |
| 04/10/25 @ Scottsburg | 3 |
| 04/28/25 vs Providence | 1 |
| 04/23/24 vs Austin | 1 |
Karissa Hardy was a major factor no matter where she played. She pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in strikeouts (four). She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kenadie Garloch, who went 3-for-4 with four stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Rachel Little was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Salem kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Borden came tearing into Thursday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Eagles a 10-0 shutout. The Braves might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by six runs or more this season.
AJ Mallard was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Eva Eversmann, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Borden's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-4. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Salem, they now have a winning record of 9-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Salem has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Borden struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Salem might still be hurting after the 9-1 loss they got from Borden in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Will the Lions have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
